Bottle carrier



March 26, 1946. RB. .WATSON Q 7 7,

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed M'ay 21, 1945 Patented Mar. 26, 1946 BOTTLE CARRIERRoland Bernard Watson, Peoria, Ill. Application May 21, 1945, Serial No.594,814 4 Claims. (on. 224-45) This invention relatestola carrier forbottles.

More particularly it relates to a carrier for trans porting by handgroups of bottles used for so called soft drinks, for example.

The object of the invention is to furnish a carrier of light weight andof low cost and one that will occupy a minimum of shipping or storagespace, coupled with the aim that it shall be of a flexible type to actin gripping and thoroughly stabilizing a group of bottles beingtransported.

That my invention may be fully understood, the

appended drawing is provided as a part hereof ing two bottles insection, and as would be seen in viewing Figure 1 from the left.

Figure 4 is a plan of a "friction member and part of the frame of thecarrier.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of one manner of connecting the terminalsof a member of the carrier;

Figure 6 shows in perspective the friction member illustrated in Figure4, and

Figure 7 is a detail in perspective of a manner of attaching asuspending arrangement of the carrier, as shown in plan at the left ofFigure 2.

It is customary by certain distributors of soft drinks, for example, toprovide a type of carrier usually quite heavy and bulky for a group ofbottles by which said bottles may be transported by a buyer from storeto home or vice versa. Such but one of the usual type, and combined;with these advantages the carrier may be produced at a relatively lowcost by comparison with said usual type.

The drawing shows a frame-like structure I of relatively stiff wire butthat will flex somecarrier has usually been in the form of a bulkybasket-like arrangement in which the bottles are loosely supported insuch manner that when being carried the latter may rattle against eachother to the annoyance of the one transporting them. Further, due totheir bulk form these carriers require large storage space, this beingparticularly a disadvantage in shipping, as will be appreciated.

In order to provide against such as the foregoing I have furnished alight form of carrier that is preferably of a flexible nature wherebythe weight of the load thereon, usually several pounds, result in aclose binding together of the bottles preventing all noise commonlyexperienced, in addition to which the said carrier is of such form thata considerable number of them will occupy in storage and shipment thespace of what under load imposed thereon by the weight of the bottles 2of which, in this instance, six are illustrated.

In practice the wire for each carrier may be cut to a, length that isfound sufficient to closely encircle a group of bottles, the ends of thewire being lapped as at 3 in Figure 5, for example, and welded together.otherwise secured relatively. Or, again, a continuous wire may be usedand after connecting one end to the wire the latter may be severed atthe place of joining, and such an operation may preferably beaccomplished upon any suitable form or jig, not shown, as the gauge forwire length, such length allowing for a slight looseness, however, sothat the wire may preferably follow the curve of the bottles somewhat as'suggested in Figures 2 and 3. Preferably, also, at 4 between the two ofthe bottles 2 at the narrow' ends, as in Figure 2, the wire may beprovided with a bight 4 to receive the eye-end 5 ofa lifting handlearrangement 6, these bights serving merely to locate the said handlearrangement permanently in position. In this connection the idea ofproviding a practically flat structure in a carrier that requires butlittle space in storage and shipping, as above, is furthered in that thelifting handle is thus collapsible upon the structure, its connectionwith the latter being substantially in the plane of the same. It isobserved, further, that between each two bottles 2 a tie-wire l islocated. These have each a turned eye 8 at each end to take around thewire I, and free to shift laterally as permitted by the said bottles.And said wires are of such length as to hold the said wire I in fairlyclose engagement about the bottles. Also, the weight of the suspendedbottles tend to snug the wire I between the two end bottles as shown.

In the present instance the bottles 2 conform in outline, Figure 1,somewhat to the form of hottle readily recognized in that below theirwaists viding a seat or resting place for the same at orjust below theirsaid waists.

However, said ends may :be'

Since the wire may be of a, gauge to flex under weight of the bottles inthe lifting act, it is seen that opposite ends of the carrier, or thoseadjacent the two end bottles will upwardly flex under a pull of thehandle as denoted in dotted lines in Figure 1, and in that act said endsof the car,- rier approach each other with the result that the bottlesare crowded together and firmly held in intimate relation, while at thesame time the tie-wires 1 prevent the-wire I from spreading at eitherside of the bottle group, and the said group is thus fully stabilized.

' Naturally, any type of bottle may be accomv modated by the carrierthus described which,

however, is provided with an extension equivalent of the enlarged waistportion as herein, as;

a lodgment portion.

By the further arrangement now: to be de-[ scribed a straight sidebottle may be accommodated thereby making the carrier of universalapplication. That isto say, carried by the wire I" at" each side of theconnection 4, 5 at both ends of the carrier is a button 10 of rubber orother suitable material in position to receive a bottle against it as afriction member. 7 Likewise, a button l0 maybe carried by said wire onthe long stretcher thereof to frictionally engage the two middle bottlesas indicated in Figure 2, the whole being assisted by friction portionsH on the tiewires each to lie between surface of the bottles that arewithin the structure. The several friction portions do not interferewith the use of the carrier for the type of bottle illustrated but arepresent when the straight side bottles are to be accommodated. Thus witha wire of the requisite length for a group of straight-side even smoothbottles the friction of the several buttons .will serve to maintain astable whole whatever I claim:

1. A device for the purpose named including a normally flat frame havinga form to encircle a group of bottles to be lifted and which arearranged in close order, a carryinghandle including twospaced portionsadapted to span the frame, each extending to an opposite edge of saidframe and hinged to the same in substantially the plane thereof, saidframe adapted to flex between the attached handle portions by the weightof bottles to be lifted, and in flexing adapted to clamp upon thebottles and clamp the bottles to each other. n V

2. The invention as described according to claim 1 including tie-membersextending between grouped bottles, a substantially flat wire frame 7encircling the group and arranged to support the group therein, a handleportion extending from the frame at spaced position thereon, said frameadapted to flex at right angles to the plane thereof by the weight ofthe bottles suspended from said handle portion, and by its flexingadapted to force the bottles into close abutting positions, and atie-wire connected at its ends to opposite portions of the frame, saidtie-wirelygrouped bottles, a substantially flat wire frame encirclingthe group and suspending said group therein, a handle portion extendingfrom opposite points on said frame, the latter adapted to flex betweensaid points by the suspended weight of the bottles when lifting the sameby said'handle portion, and friction buttons mounted on the frameadapted to abut each of certain of said bottles, said frame in flexingadapted to force the buttons into intimate contact with said bottles formaintaining the later in fixed suspended position. 7

ROLAND BERNARD WATSON.

